Cottonwood Township Youth Pleads Guilty to

Burglary in Third Degree,

Monday Afternoon.

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TOOK BICYCLE AND $27 FROM G. J. GAG TINSHOP

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Left His Own Wheel in Place of the One He Stole. — Confesses Petty

Thievery to Police.

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Nemesis proved rather speedy for Alfred Dauer, 20-year-old Cottonwood township youth, who found himself in the intricate meshes of the law, Friday morning, only a few hours after he had entered the George J. Gag tin-shop on North Minnesota street, in this city, and taken therefrom a bicycle valued at $35, together with $27.35 in cash. He was allotted but a brief period in which to enjoy his ill-gotten gains. The burglary was committed sometime during the night from

Bought Wheel Recently.

It seems that young Dauer purchased a bicycle from another local dealer about a week before the burglary. He came to New Ulm, last Thursday, and early in the evening went to the Gag tinshop, removed one of the pieces of tin used to patch up a broken window, and crawled into the building. While looking around the place, he tapped the cash drawer for the money, and then went to the dealer from whom he had bought his wheel, paying the latter $10 of the stolen money on account. He purchased a tube of rim cement there, too.

An Uneven Exchange.

The youth evidently tried to cement one of the bicycle tires onto the rim, but did not allow the cement sufficient time to dry, and the result was that the valve was torn off. There-upon he took his bicycle to the Gag tinshop and left it there, exchanging it for the new one on which he later rode home. He took the new wheel out of the place through the front door, leaving the latter stand open,but apparently was not observed by anyone, so that he made an easy getaway. Evidently he was satisfied that he had made a good bargain.

Easily Identified.

When Mr. Gag arrived at his place of business, Friday morning, the first unusual thing that he noticed was the open door. Upon investigation, he found a strange, but nearly new bicycle, one tire of which had the valve torn off. The rim cement was not yet dry, indicating a recent attempt to cement the tire on. But for the fact that it was covered with dust, Mr. Gag would hardly have noticed the strange wheel. A closer examination revealed the serial number and make of the bicycle, and knowing which local dealer sells that brand here,he found it an easy matter to identify the owner. This evidence was then turned over to the police, and Chief Alwin Harmening went out to Dauer’s home, placed the young man under arrest and brought him back to New Ulm. He admitted his guilt, and, according to police, also confessed complicity in a number of previous petty thieveries in this city.

Waived Examination.

Alfred was arraigned in City Justice Fred. Pfaender’s court, Saturday morning for a preliminary hearing, but waived examination and was bound over to the Brown county district court under $1,500 bonds. The charge against him was grand larceny. He signified his willingness to appear before District Judge I. M. Olsen and plead guilty to burglary in the third degree, and a petition to this effect was prepared and presented to the court by County Attorney T. O. Streissguth.

Six Months’ Reformatory.

The young man was permitted to plead guilty before Judge Olsen, Monday afternoon, and sentenced by the court to serve six months in the state reformatory at St. Cloud. He was taken to that institution by Sheriff W.J. Julius, Wednesday morning.

Brown County Journal

April 9, 1926

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